Agencies cut back

Decreased federation allocations have adverse effect

BETH OLSON
Staff Writer

The recent reduction in allocations by the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix to its constituent agencies has led to cuts in staffing, programming and education services.

Federation announced in June that it would cut allocations to seven of its 11 constituent agencies by 10 percent for the 2003-2004 fiscal year due to a shortfall in the annual campaign.

Additionally, an Allocations Process Review Committee is being formed to determine how funds will be allocated in the future.

Each agency is being given 1/12 of 90 percent of its 2003-2004 allocation per month pending a recommendation by the Allocations Process Review Committee to the federation board. According to Fred Zeidman, assistant executive director of federation, all withheld funds will eventually be allocated to the agencies, most likely in January.

Shelley Cohn, a federation board member, is chairwoman of the committee. On Oct. 8, executive directors and presidents of all the agencies met with federation President Vicki Cabot and Executive Vice President Adam Schwartz. The executive directors will select two representatives to serve on the review committee, as will the presidents.

"Certainly (the agencies) are disappointed, as we are, that the campaign didn't produce more," said Zeidman. "We're all suffering, but I think generally the feeling is we all need to work together to be able to solve the problem and improve the way we look at our allocations process and make it more relevant."

In addition to "scrambling for cash to make payroll," Rabbi Barton Lee, executive director of Hillel Jewish Student Center at Arizona State University, said Hillel has cut two staff positions and eliminated a Rosh Hashana service for young singles, an Erev Yom Kippur dinner, and expenses for guest speakers.

"We've got more students than we've had in recent years and we're trying to feed them and entertain them and have fun with them, but it's tough because we don't have enough help," Lee said.

Hillel has asked some private donors to make their annual contributions early to ease the cash flow problem.

"We're among the most dependent of the agencies upon the support of federation and we just can't make that up with private donations," Lee said.

Lee is encouraged after meeting with Schwartz and feels there is a renewed commitment to working together.

"If all the agencies are running out to the same people for donations, we're ultimately going to hurt the federation campaign. What we need to do is work on this cooperatively as a community," Lee said.

Ilene Blau, executive director of the Tri-City Jewish Community Center, said the JCC has also had to cut staffing because of the reduction in allocations. The finance committee and the board of the JCC are in the process of setting priorities for spending.

While no programming has been cut yet, Blau said the JCC is finding it necessary to solicit private donors.

"I don't think the community realizes the impact it has on the particular agencies. We are going to send out a direct solicitation to community members, which we have never done before," said Blau.

Rabbi David Rebibo, rabbinic administrator of the Greater Phoenix Vaad Hakashruth, the local kosher supervising agency, said the cuts aggravate an already strained budget. Budget reductions have mostly affected the Vaad's role as an educator in the community.

"Kashrut information needs to be an ongoing program, keeping people abreast of what is going on and of things (that) keep changing from day to day, from week to week," explained Rebibo.

Cuts have affected both the purchase of advertising and the production of a kashrut newsletter, which is now printed twice a year instead of bimonthly, said Rebibo.

Rebibo said the agencies and the community need to be more understanding of the position federation has been put in.

"They cannot distribute money they don't have," he said.

In addition, Rebibo feels that the agencies may rely too heavily on federation funds.

"As the city's getting bigger, it's going to be more and more up to the agencies to assume a more aggressive campaign to meet their needs," said Rebibo. "Federation can only do what it can and it's up to us to do the rest."

Mark Shore, president of the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center, said the VOSJCC is in the process of reviewing staff positions and looking for volunteers to assist with services and programs.

"Any reduction in funding is significantly impairing our ability to deliver programs. Right now we are trying to solve a cash-flow challenge, and we're looking at a lot of cost-saving activity and different ways of delivering services," Shore said.

Dick Geasland, interim CEO of Jewish Family and Children's Service, and Aaron Scholar, director of the Bureau of Jewish Education, did not respond to requests for comment.

None of the three day schools that are constituent agencies of federation, The King David School, the Phoenix Hebrew Academy and Pardes Jewish Day School, had a reduction in allocations. Kivel Campus of Care's allocation was reduced by 5.8 percent.

The 2002 Annual Campaign generated $4,946,390 - $200,000 less than the 2001 Annual Campaign.

Contact the writer at beth_olson@jewishaz.com.

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